Thomas’s review published on Letterboxd:
Simply magical.
“La La Land” is a wonderful ode to dreamers, lovers, and the Golden Age of Hollywood and a modern musical that doesn´t need to hide from the great classics that inspired it. You can feel that this film is a passion project for director Damien Chazelle and damn, his enthusiasm for the subject matter is infectious.
“La La Land” is marvelous to look at and the high level of craftmanship in every aspect of filmmaking is astonishing. The movie has sublime cinematography, masterful editing, gorgeous and imaginative production design, beautiful costumes, striking colors, fascinating symbolism (like the season motif), a mesmerizing score, and of course exhilarating musical numbers with fantastic choreographies and catchy songs you can listen to over and over again. And since I´ve vastly expanded my knowledge of classic cinema since the last time I saw “La La Land”, I can now even more appreciate the many subtle references to the movies that inspired it. The high attention to detail in every shot is truly amazing. The film is enchanting, charming, and intoxicating and full of moments of fantastical escapism that are only possible in musicals.
This fantastical and dreamlike style is contrasted by the realistic, believable, and heartfelt romance at the center of the movie. Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone are two of Hollywood´s most beautiful stars and they are both phenomenal in this film. They deliver natural, likeable, and very emotive performances and their chemistry is simply out of this world. Their relationship is carefully developed, and I believe every step of it. The magical musical numbers are breathtaking, but it´s the authentic and moving dialogue between them that makes you truly emotionally invested in this couple, because it makes them seem so real.
One thing that Damien Chazelle has proven with all three of his feature films is that he knows when and how to end his movies. The ending of “La La Land” is definitely among my all-time favorites. The final musical montage is so wonderful and touching and the final look between Sebastian and Mia is pure perfection. So poignant, profound, and bittersweet.
The film sucks you right into its world with its first scene and doesn´t let you go until it ends. Actually, it lingers in your mind even afterwards. It´s movie magic at its finest. “La La Land” doesn´t need the Oscar. With or without it, it won´t be forgotten.
